The so-called "Millionaire Madam" Anna Gristina remains at Rikers Island, nearly two months after her initial arrest. The married mother of two, accused of running a high-end escort service from an Upper East Side apartment, is being held on $2 million bail, because Manhattan prosecutors say she has bragged about having money overseas as well as law enforcement connections. But Gristina insists she's innocent and has been trying to get her bail lowered. Now her family has apparently started a website to solicit donations. more ›

Recently a Yelper asked, "I am going to NYC for the first time and don't know what to do up there. There seems to be a lot. What is your favorite things in New York City?" So far, the suggestions he's getting are a bit lacking, and coming mostly from other tourists. For example, the first commenter suggests mostly spots found in the movie Serendipity: "Serendipity (the original! We sat next to the table Kate Beckinsale & John Cusack sat in, in the movie!!), Waldorf hotel (where movie Serendipity was shot—elevator scene!!)," etc. more ›

Let's cut to the chase here: if this cat isn't adopted by December 26th, the current owners are going to euthanize her, making it the saddest Boxing Day ever. So let's save her! more ›

Because protesters cannot live on Ben & Jerry's alone, the Occupy Wall Street food committee is on the hunt for a commercial kitchen space. A proposal at last night's General Assembly meeting laid it out: "Winter is coming. We need hot food 2 sustain itself" #ThePeoplesKitchen." more ›

Someone please go help Julia Stiles figure out this Twitter thing. About an hour ago the actress entered the Tweet world like a deer in headlights, and the poor thing is relying on Mia Farrow and Good Charlotte for technology advice. Below, some of her Tweets (the first one seems to be a response to a Direct Message, as there's nothing on Mr. Madden's Twitter feed that's directed at her). People, help—after all, they don't teach Tweeting at Columbia. more ›

Help! Do you know this dog? Would you like to know this dog? This adorable little guy, who is apparently very friendly, was found on May 6th near the McCarren Park Dog Run. more ›

More than 85 percent of Park Slope families pay their the domestic help under the table. According to the Brooklyn Paper and a Park Slope Parents study [PDF], 58 percent of parents who pay their nannies off the books say they think that nannies prefer it that way. But nanny Deborah Manwaring claims that's not necessarily the case: "I don't bring up taxes because they might fire me. With the economy the way it is, I don't want to be unemployed, so I have no choice." more ›

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, former Fugees star Wyclef Jean has emerged as one of the most prominent advocates for charitable giving in his home country. His nonprofit, Yele Haiti Foundation, has already netted more than $2 million in contributions via text messages. But that charity has a "lackluster history of accounting for its finances," and it has paid at least $410,000 to businesses tied to Jean in past years, The Smoking Gun reports. more ›

What can't Yankees manager Joe Girardi do? First, there's manage the Yankees to their 27th World Series win (okay, fine, there was that $206 million payroll helping out). But after the win, when driving home on the Cross County Parkway, he stopped to help a driver who crashed into a wall! more ›

The 33-year-old man who was struck by a falling tree branch in Central Park appears to be recovering: Sasha Blair-Goldensohn's mother Gwenda Blair told CityRoom, "He finally started responding when they said, ‘Raise your hand and open your eye.'" She also said to the Daily News, "He's slowly improving. We think that he's going to be okay." more ›

Senator Charles Schumer is wasting no time: He tells the Daily News, "Washington can't do what it did in Herbert Hoover's time and twiddle its thumbs." Noting how Obama said that states must be helped during this economic downturn, the senior Senator from NY says Obama should help New York with money for "affordable housing, transportation and help hiring for cops." City Council member John Liu, chair of the Council's transportation committee, added that a bailout is needed for the MTA, "It would be a small, small fraction of the $700 billion bailout of banks or anything they may be thinking for General Motors," while member David Yassky said, "The best thing is to invest in infrastructure that will support economic growth for years." Representative Jerold Nadler puts it bluntly, "We want as big a stimulus package as possible." more ›

Make sure you’re sitting down: Because of a surge in visa requests, America is currently in the grips of a severe fashion model shortage. The problem is that professional good looking people from overseas have to apply for the same H-1B visas that pasty high-tech workers require. According to Politico, demand for the visas is double the 85,000 spots available in the category per year; in the fiscal year 2007 only 349 models from overseas got the H-1B (for which there is no cure). more ›